“Of course. You keep a very busy schedule. You deserve a day off. What are you doing for the rest of today? Want to meet for lunch or dinner?”
“I can’t. It’s not a day off, not while I’m trying to build this side business.”
“Are you sure that’s the only reason why you’re blowing me off?”
“I’m very busy, Emanuel. Besides, you know the deal.”
“I’ll keep working on breaking you down. Iglesias can’t wait to see you. It’s been over a month.”
“I’ll meet you at Louie’s tomorrow. Have a nice day.”
“You, too. Looking forward to tomorrow.”
She ended the call, leaned back, and exhaled. Emanuel and Iglesias were always pushing to get her into bed, to take full care of her, and to make her their woman. She knew they weren’t the commitment kind. She didn’t know why they were so set on trying to get her into bed. Didn’t they feel weird knowing that she had slept with their cousin, that she had been in love with him, and that he was the only man she had ever been with? Maybe that was it. They knew she had been a virgin and hadn’t dated anyone since Vender. Perhaps they found that attractive. She didn’t know, and she didn’t care. Emanuel and Iglesias were men involved in dangerous things. They recently had some sort of beef going on with a small gang of drug dealers and gun runners. Two of their men were nearly killed a few months back. She didn’t know the details, but it proved that they were still active in the criminal street-thug world. She was a professional, successful business woman, not some twenty-year-old being lied to and seduced. You live and you learn.
Beginning to put the meeting time and location into her phone for tomorrow, she looked down at the paper and saw Fedarro’s number. Now, he and his brother were no street thugs. They were legit, as legit as made men come. No one was taking potshots at them. No one dared to. She didn’t know why she was comparing. It was stupid. She needed to keep this all business from the start and hold her ground. She knew that, no matter what, made men were trouble and could not be trusted.
She cleared her throat and called Fedarro’s cell phone. When he answered, that deep, commanding voice made her shiver with anxiousness. “Good morning, Mister Fiorre. This is Gisella Maninni calling. I got your name from Myran Cornish, and he said it was all right to call you.”
“Good morning, Gisella. I understand that you’re representing Myran with this sale?”
“Potential sale. He hasn’t officially placed it on the market. I believe he’s close to making that decision, and because you’ve known one another a long time, he is willing to allow you to see the properties and take it from there.”
“I understand. I would like to see it tomorrow, around ten o’clock or so.”
She swallowed hard. He was telling her a time as if he was in control here. “No can do, Mr. Fiorre. I have a very busy morning.”
“Lunchtime then?” he asked.
“How about Tuesday morning? I could make myself available around eleven.”
“I was hoping to see the property tomorrow.”
“Well, I have a showing in the afternoon. I suppose since it doesn’t get dark until later, we could meet up at four thirty, if that works for you? I can rearrange my dinner plans.”
“Perfect. My driver and I will pick you up at your place at four o’clock.”
“I could meet you at the site.”
“I insist. I’ll have my assistant call you for your address. Thank you, and have a great day.”
He ended the call, and she held the phone against her ear a moment in shock. How the hell did he do that? She swallowed hard and placed the phone down and added him to tomorrow’s schedule. It was going to be a long damn day.
Chapter 2
“Gisella, it’s so good to see you,” Louis, Bella’s uncle, said, greeting her. She hugged him and then smiled, noticing Alfredo and Toro, Bella’s cousins, were there having lunch. Both men got up from the table and walked over to greet her.
“You look great as always,” Toro told her, and she couldn’t help but blush. He was one good-looking guy, and so was his brother. It seemed all of Bella’s cousins were hot.
“Are you dining alone? Want to join us?” Alfredo asked.
“Actually, I have a business meeting.” She glanced at her watch and then heard someone call her name. She turned to look and saw Emanuel. He made his way over and greeted her. She kissed his cheek in greeting, and he kept a hand on her lower back.
“Do you know Emanuel Picatta? This is Louie Costanza and his nephews, Alfredo and Toro.”
The men shook hands.
“We know of one another,” Alfredo said, eyeing Emanuel.
“Well, we should go have lunch. Nice meeting you all,” Emanuel said and started to pull her along.
“Good seeing you. Take care and enjoy lunch,” she told them. Their expressions of concern didn’t go unnoticed.
“We got a table in the back. Iglesias is trying to butter up York Saint James. Don’t worry about the big guys by the tables around us. They work for York,” he told her just as she spotted Iglesias and the men around the two tables.
She knew soldiers when she saw them, not military necessarily but soldiers of the families—men in dark clothing, carrying guns, chests pushed out, eyes narrowing in accusatory manners and ready to kill. There was a whole look to these men. You had to be pretty stupid to not notice how they stood out or how obvious they made it that they were security for a made man or men. Who the hell was this guy, York St. James? She wondered as two men stood, but another man waved them off. Were they going to frisk her? Shit.
“There she is,” Iglesias stated and stood.
The tall, dark-haired man next to him with a very smug expression eyed her like she was lunch. It pissed her off, to say the least, but she was used to men like this.
“Gisella, I would like you to meet—”
“York Saint James, honey, and I must say, it is a pleasure to finally meet you.” Taking her hand, he brought it to his lips and kissed the top as he held her gaze. The man was big—heavy set, large, wide shoulders, and tall, like six feet four maybe. He looked like Herman Munster and had some sort of an accent. Was that Russian? Odd for a name like York St. James, she thought.
“Have a seat, Gisella. We were just getting started. We ordered a few bottles of wine. If you don’t like red, we can order a white or rose or something,” York said to her.
“I’ll have to pass anyway and have iced tea or water. Unfortunately, I have a hectic schedule this afternoon,” she said, taking a seat between York and Iglesias. Iglesias was an attractive man, just like his brother, Emanuel. He resembled Vender in a lot of ways, and she wondered if that was why she kept in contact with them instead of insisting on writing them off. Her gut clenched. These men would never allow her to write them off. She knew that.
“How disappointing. Not even a small glass to be social?” York gave her an expression as if not trusting a woman who couldn’t share a drink with him.
“Well, when you ask that way, I suppose a half glass won’t make me too relaxed. As I said, I have a busy day.”
The waiter came over, opened the bottles of wine, and poured each of them a glass and her as well. They were quiet, not starting a conversation until the waiter left, and she noticed the guards at the tables keeping eyes on them, especially her. She didn’t like it. She wasn’t even sure why she needed to be here. York didn’t look the type to use the services of a real estate agent. He appeared more like a sinister thief making deals in back alleys in the middle of the night.
“So, we gathered here today to discuss the possibility of doing some business together. Perhaps we should lay out the negotiations and see where things stand to be discussed?” Iglesias stated.
York held her gaze as he took a sip of wine and winked. “It’s not too complicated. You’re looking to expand your business and get into the club scene. I have a place that I want to get off my hands, but I have put a lot of work into it. I’d like to rem
ain on as a silent partner for the time being. In exchange, I would like some shares in your other business on the streets between the six blocks surrounding where my club resides. I don’t think that’s an unfair offer, considering I’ve allowed you to sell your shit in the area for several months now.”
Gisella’s heart raced. Then Iglesias smoothed his hand over her knee, making her jerk and look up at him. He didn’t look at her but, instead, held York’s gaze. York squinted, glanced down at the table as if he could see through it to where Iglesias had his hand. What the hell was going on here?
“No one worked that area or was making profit in it until we came along. Besides that, we were generous enough to offer you a cut even without you asking for one,” Iglesias told him.
“I shouldn’t have to ask when a territory is all mine. It was the right thing for you to do,” York said.
“We did it. Now we’re at a different point. We’re not looking for a silent partner. We want a clean exchange. What’s your real offer?” Iglesias asked.
York snorted as if he found Iglesias amusing. Gisella wasn’t finding any of this amusing. In fact, she was pretty worried about what she was hearing and wondered why they were making her part of this.
“A million five plus twenty-five percent of the cut in the six-block radius,” York stated.
Emanuel chuckled. “Gisella, you know the club on Fourteenth Street in the meat-packing district? What do you think that club goes for in its condition right now?”
“I haven’t been in the club in quite some time.”
“That’s not what I’m asking. In regards to other clubs, similar ones, how much?” Emanuel pushed.
Iglesias squeezed her knee. She swallowed hard. “A million, maybe a tad more if it’s up to date, no improvements other than cosmetic needed.”
“Is that including the cut you receive through the Keller Perkins agency you work for?” York asked.
“I’m not here representing Keller Perkins. I represent my own side business, and Iglesias and Emanuel are friends of mine I’ve known for years. I actually don’t know why I was asked to attend this little negotiation process. It isn’t like you need a real estate agent to negotiate these types of terms,” she said, holding York’s gaze.
“Well then, a million two is my final offer, and thirty percent of the income from the street business,” York stated.
“Twenty percent and then we’ll continue talking,” Iglesias stated firmly.
York exhaled and then looked at Gisella. “Give her twenty grand for her one-line and two-second advice. She looks trustworthy, as well as delicious.”
The waiter came over to take their food order, and she felt a pain in the pit of her stomach.
“Let’s enjoy lunch together and then discuss plans to have Gisella check out the club in person. Perhaps tomorrow night. She’ll get a good idea of how crowded it gets even on a Tuesday evening,” York stated, and Iglesias agreed.
She didn’t agree but kept her mouth shut. She would tell them off afterward.
* * * *
“Who is she there with?” Sunny asked Alfredo over the phone. He was talking with Mateus and Major at their office. “York Saint James and two tables filled with guards?”
“What the hell is she doing with them?” Major asked, sounding concerned.
Sunny asked Alfredo. “He said she told them it was a business meeting with her and the Picatta brothers, Iglesias and Emanuel. Then they found out that York Saint James was there already waiting for them,” Sunny said to them.
Major looked at Mateus. “Could be real estate business and nothing more.”
“You heard what Alfredo told Sunny. Emanuel acted like it was a date, and Iglesias had her close to him by the table,” Mateus stated.
“We’ll have to find out if she knows how bad all those men are and are not exactly the best company to be keeping,” Major said.
Sunny got off the phone with his cousin. “Maybe Adelina can find out. She does have ways of interrogating people,” he said, and they chuckled.
“Your woman is special indeed, but this is probably just business, which is what we need to take care of within the next hour. How are you coming along with that shipment we discussed? Will it get here on time?” Mateus asked.
“It should be at the warehouse by this afternoon. As soon as it arrives, I’m going to personally inspect it. In fact, I should head out now,” Sunny said.
Then they shook hands, and Sunny left.
* * * *
“What are you doing?” Mateus asked Major.
“I’m texting Collin and Fedarro. They’re meeting Gisella this afternoon about an investment property or something.”
“How do you know that?” Mateus asked.
“I overheard Bella talking to Gisella this morning. Bella was telling Gisella that she should stop fighting her attraction to them. She seemed adamant about not getting close to them. Perhaps there’s something going on.”
“So Gisella is interested in Collin and Fedarro but resisting it? Interesting.”
“Not as interesting as the fact that our cousins seem interested in her. You know them as well as I do. They don’t get any tougher, any more untrusting, or any further from the word commitment to a woman than the two of them. We fear for Bella’s life on a regular basis now that she’s our woman. It’s a weakness. Fedarro said it himself that we should be sure about this.”
“So what are you texting him?”
“That Gisella was seen meeting with Picatta and Saint James. That crazy Ukrainian is a backstabbing psycho who can’t be trusted. The Picatta brothers are into dirty shit. Wouldn’t think twice about making deals, then ducking out and scamming someone. They got some territory by pushing their way in and screwing people over. They’re dirty, plain and simple. She shouldn’t be around them.”
Major’s cell phone went off, and he squinted at it.
“What did he say?”
“He texted ‘ok.’ That was it. What the hell?”
“That’s Fedarro. He’ll take care of it.”
* * * *
Gisella didn’t know why she was so nervous. She looked at herself in the mirror again. The straight, snug-fitting black dress accentuated her figure, and the low dip in the buttons over her breasts was definitely business-like but sexy. She wore her black Louis Vuitton high heels that had a hint of gold on the top of the heel. She was glad she wore the outfit today, especially meeting a man like York St. James. He was worth a lot of money, but he was also a made man, a criminal, and his club seemed to bring in the types of crowds that were into drugs, guns, and organized-crime activities. She had given Emanuel and Iglesias an earful when they called her after she’d left the meeting pissed off and before dessert. She didn’t like the guards working for York St. James watching her, and she certainly didn’t trust whatever deal was brewing.
Her phone buzzed, and she saw that it was Emanuel. Iglesias had just texted her after she didn’t respond to the phone call. They knew she was upset with them. She didn’t need any trouble. She placed her phone in her bag and looked into the mirror one more time. She was nervous, actually nervous, about meeting with Fedarro and Collin and going over this real estate thing. She would have pushed it off to someone else if she could have. Then she thought about Myran. She adored him and his wife. If this were to turn into a deal, she would be looking out for them.
She went over to her desk to look at some other papers for a closing she had tomorrow. She also needed to meet with Bella, Giada, and Fina tomorrow. The others were busy, but all planned on attending a party at Club X Friday night.
She heard the buzzer and knew it was the doorman letting her know that Fedarro was on his way up. Her cell phone rang, and glancing at the caller ID, she saw that it was Keller calling. She answered it.
“Hello, Keller, what’s going on?”
“I heard that the closing went perfectly. Mister Rose mentioned giving your name and number to a friend of his who may be interested in buying a
new penthouse in Manhattan. He wants to meet with you tomorrow afternoon to view the two uptown,” he said to her as the doorbell rang.
“Hold on one moment, please. Someone is at the door, and I’m about to head out to a viewing,” she said and then opened the door. She wasn’t expecting both Fedarro and Collin, along with their two guards Roman and Ziek, to be standing there. She covered the mouthpiece.
“Excuse me while I finish up this call with work. Come in and make yourselves at home,” she said. As she turned, she felt their eyes on her body. A warm, tingling sensation overtook her a moment, and she had to refocus and act unaffected. Thank God she was facing away from them.
“Sorry, go ahead. What were you saying?”
“Can you show the guy the two penthouses, or are you too caught up in running that side business to focus on your responsibilities here?” he snapped.
She was shocked. “Excuse me, but my responsibilities with the agency are not suffering in any way nor am I slacking. In fact, did you not start this conversation with me closing on a three-million-dollar deal this morning? Aside from that, how about the potential to find a buyer for that nightmare of a little renovation job you and your brother decided to take on with no knowledge or experience that turned into a money pit? Looks like I might have sold that, so before you get all up in arms and making accusations, I would put that attitude in check. I work damn hard. Now what is this really about?” she said, clenching her teeth and trying not to raise her voice. A glance over her shoulder showed Collin was picking up a model of a dragonfly she loved, while Fedarro stared at her looking unemotional as usual. The man had a way about him. That was for sure.
“Heard about some big-ass meeting you had at Louie’s with men we’ve been trying to snag a deal with.”
“Listen, I don’t have the time to discuss that with you right now as I have some individuals here looking to view a site. Perhaps we can take this up tomorrow morning in the office.”
Made Men 4: One More Time (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 4
